Construction Takes Wadleigh Apart
FLUSHING, NY – Sunday was the final day of the inaugural Francis Lewis Holiday Classic and it featured two games. In the opener, the High School for Construction Red Hawks would overtake the Wadleigh Tigers, 85 – 77.
The Tigers took an early lead as the tandem of Samuel Davis ’18 and James Downs ’20 did work in the paint. The two were a catalyst for a 15 – 2 Wadleigh run. The Red Hawks got up off the mat midway through the quarter off perimeter and transition scoring from Jalen Judge ’20, Legacy Wallace ‘18 and Jasiah Wright ’18. Construction sliced a 13 points deficit down to 5 as the second quarter got underway.
Wright and Wallace started the quarter on a tear and the Red Hawks put together an 8 – 0 run to take a four-point lead with 5-minute left in the first half. Like a Rocky movie each opponent hit the proverbial mat only to get up off the canvas and fight on. In the final minutes of the half, it would be Wadleigh’s turn to rise up.
Buckets by Reginal Dennis along with John Egbuta ’18 and Mark Farley ‘19 forged the path to a comeback. Contribution by Davis and Naishawn Campbell ‘18 gave the Tigers a 44 – 42 advantage at the midway point.
The third quarter was a free for all as the lead bounced back and forth. Wadleigh got production from Ernest Wynn while the Red Hawks counters with baskets by Ezra Burnett ‘19. As the fourth quarter began, the Tigers still led by two with no headway gained by Construction.
That changed in the fourth quarter as Wright and Burnett, with help from Wallace, regained the lead for the Red Hawks for good outscoring Wadleigh 21 – 11.
Wright paced H.S. for Construction with 23 points with Wallace and Burnett adding 19 points and 18 points respectively. Davis was the high man for Wadleigh with 17 points.
“It was a good non-league win for us,” said Red Hawks head coach Cory Semper. “We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do.”
IN OTHER ACTION:
Springfield Gardens Top St. Mary’s, 60 - 56
